Wethersfield Charter Commission Considers Minor Changes

June 27, 2014|By CHRISTOPHER HOFFMAN, Special to The Courant, The Hartford Courant

WETHERSFIELD — Nearly six months into its work, the charter revision commission is so far considering only minor changes to the document.

Amendments being contemplated include indexing referendums and bidding thresholds for inflation and censuring town officials and encouraging them to resign if they are found to have violated the ethics code.

The commission has considered and rejected bigger changes, such as eliminating the town manager system, instituting budget referendums and giving the manager more authority over the town clerk, Town Manager Jeff Bridges said.

The body is close to sending a proposal to the town council for consideration, members said at their meeting Thursday. Voters must ultimately approve any changes to the charter.

"I think we are three or four meetings from being done," member Mike Zalinski said.

Any proposed changes, however, won't be ready in time for the November election, Vice Chairman Steve Kirsche said. The body has until next spring to complete its work, he and other members said.

The commission decided Thursday not to meet again until September.

The indexing of monetary triggers for referendums and bonding would keep the amounts consistent with inflation, Kirsche said.

"As inflation or deflation happens, the numbers will automatically change," he said.

The charter, for example, currently requires contracts of $20,000 or more go out to bid. The proposal would change that to 0.03 percent of that year's general fund budget, which would be $27,850 under the spending plan that kicks in July 1, Bridges said.

A percentage of the general fund budget instead of a specific amount would also trigger referendums for special appropriations, bonding and emergency expenditures, Bridges said.

The commission, meanwhile, wanted to assure action if an official is found to have violated the ethics code, members said. Writing an automatic censure and encouragement to resign into the charter accomplishes that, they said.

"We don't want it brushed under the rug," commission member Mary Pelletier said.

The suggested censure clause comes after a lengthy ethics controversy several years ago that led to the departure of both the superintendent of schools and the school board chairwoman.

The charter requires the town to appoint a charter revision commission and consider changes to the document every 10 years.